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Pepperdine University Celebrates Black History Month
What began in 1926 as a week to honor former President Abraham Lincoln and former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass for their influence on the lives and social condition of African Americans, has grown to a whole month of celebration across the nation. February is National Black History Month, and this year, Pepperdine University celebrates the month of reverence and remembrance with several events across its campuses, ranging from a performance by Step Afrika! to a panel discussion featuring prominent diversity scholars.
Click here for a full calendar of Pepperdine events to celebrate Black History Month.
"We hope the community will take time to celebrate the rich history and heritage of Black History Month," says Larisa Hamada, director of equal opportunity at Pepperdine University. "I believe it helps us deepen our sense of identity and faith when we learn and reflect on the history of oppression, perseverance, and social justice within the African American community, the civil rights movement, and non-violent ways we, as Christians, can make a difference today."
Kicking off the month a few days early, the Pepperdine University Office of Intercultural Affairs presented a performance by Step Afrika! on January 24 in Smothers Theatre. The performance was free to Pepperdine students and $10 for the general public.
Step Afrika! is the first professional company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping, a unique dance tradition created by African American college students. In stepping, the body is used as an instrument to create intricate rhythms and sounds through a combination of footsteps, claps, and spoken word.
Step Afrika's stop at Pepperdine University was part of an annual 50-city tour of American colleges and universities from Maine to Mississippi. Learn more about the organization at www.stepafrika.org.
On the first day of the celebratory month, the Black Student Association will unveil a "Black History Month Mural" starting at 3 p.m. on Feb. 1 in Adamson Plaza on the Malibu campus. The event will include spoken word performances after the unveiling.
Also in celebration of Black History Month, Pepperdine University Libraries will host a series of lectures every Thursday in February from 4 to 5 p.m., beginning on Feb. 4 with Stewart Davenport, associate professor of history, who will discuss “American Slavery in Global Perspective."
The next lecture, taking place Feb. 11, features Darlene S. Rivas, professor of history and Latin American studies, who will speak about the Jim Crow Era. The final lecture will be given by Dr. David G. Holmes, Blanche E. Seaver Professor in Humanities, who will speak about the significance of Barack Obama's election on Feb. 25. Visit library.pepperdine.edu for more information.
On Friday, Feb. 5 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., the Office of Intercultural Affairs is sponsoring another free performance: "Our Voice - A Celebration of Black Women in Music." This 45-minute show takes its audience on a journey through African American history utilizing the music of African American women. Nicole Pryor, Alana Simone, Nadine Roden, Angela Clark, Danielle White, and Joel Rene make up the talented rotating cast. Click here to learn more about this event, which will take place in Raitt Recital Hall and is open to the public.
"Ultimately, we should understand very clearly that Black history is American history," says Don Lawrence, director of the Office of Intercultural Affairs. "We hope that our community will embrace opportunities to be educated on Black culture, and it various forms in America and around the world."
On Wednesday, Feb. 10, the Black Student Alliance will host a screening of the film, Black in America at 8 p.m. in PC 188. The film follows CNN Correspondent Soledad O'Brien as he leads interviews and dialogue about the African American experience in the United States.
Joi Carr, assistant professor of English at Seaver College, is serving as director for an original production titled "Multicultural Theater Project." There will be two performances, taking place Thursday and Saturday, Feb. 11 and 13, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Raitt Recital Hall, Malibu. The Event is free and open to the public; Call 310.506.6860 for more information.
On Thursday, Feb. 18, all are welcome to attend a Black History Month Chapel from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Stauffer Chapel on the Malibu campus. The event will begin with a few words from David Lemley, the University chaplain, followed by reflections from student members of the Black Student Association, and music from the Genesis Gospel Choir.
Stauffer Chapel, at dusk.
"The Black History Month Chapel is one opportunity to participate in and honor a part of this community," Lemley says. "In the case of the chapel service, we hope to both represent the unique contributions of Black Christians to faith, theology and spirituality, and to invite those from any heritage or faith to experience this unique expression of God's family in open worship and fellowship together."
The Graduate School of Education and Psychology will also hold an event on Wednesday, Feb. 17, titled "Celebrating Black History Month: Social Justice, Faith, and the Pepperdine Community." A panel of speakers will discuss the intersection of faith and social justice challenges from a historical and contemporary perspective from 7 to 9 p.m. in room 203 of the West Los Angeles campus.
"We hope that attendees at this gathering will gain a fuller appreciation of the importance of considering cultural context, social justice and faith in their development as educators or psychological practitioners," says Daryl Rowe, professor of psychology. "Instead of seeing these perspectives as separate and discrete focal points—issues unrelated to their career goals—we want attendees to grasp the necessary synergy of these ideas."
Dr. Erylene Piper-Mandy
Panelists include Dr. Erylene Piper-Mandy, president and CEO of the Center for Cross Cultural Competence, a consultant agency through which she and her colleagues train public and private agencies in a variety of issues related to ethnic diversity and community relations. Piper-Mandy received a bachelor's degree in African American Studies and a B.S. in psychology from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. She continued her studies at Boston University’s African American Studies Program, where she received a master's. She completed her education at the University of California, Irvine, where she received a second master's and a Ph.D. in psycho-cultural anthropology. As a result of receiving the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship, Piper-Mandy was afforded the opportunity to work and study in Senegal, West Africa.
Dr. Louis Jenkins (GPC '70)
Also joining the panel will be Dr. Louis Jenkins (GPC '70), a professor of psychology at the School of Science and Technology at Loma Linda University. Jenkins attended George Pepperdine College, located on Vermont Ave. in Los Angeles, and received his master's in psychology in 1970. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in 1973 from Pennsylvania State University. He returned to Pepperdine University as a psychology faculty member for the 1995-96 academic year before joining the faculty at Linda Loma University. His core academic research interests include diversity issues and psychology and religion.
Spring Cooke, visiting professor in the education division of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, will moderate the panel. For more information on the event, contact Vanessa Jahn at 310-568-2344.
While civil rights have come a long way since 1926, Chaplain David Lemley emphasizes that the relevance is as strong today as ever. "You can read about or watch a movie about someone's family, heritage or experiences, but until you've really sat at their dinner table, worshiped with their congregation, heard their stories in their own words, really walked with them, you can't begin to know a person or a community," he says. "I hope Black History Month provides an opportunity that we can model in our lives with any people or heritage: that we do all we can to be with them so that we can better know and love them."
For more information about diversity initiatives at Pepperdine University, contact Don Lawrence at 310-506-6860.
